A fortnight ago, a youngster approached the security cabin of a major apartment complex in the heart of the Kochi city.
He had come to deliver a bottle of alcohol to his boss who was in quarantine in the apartment after being tested positive for COVID-19. The security guard almost messed it up by mistaking the delivery for another resident who had a similar arrangement for delivering liquor bottle.
The confusion, however, was cleared and the bottle was delivered at the right doorstep. The incident was testimony to the fact that COVID-19 is not stopping infected people from drinking despite being explicitly warned against doing so.
In fact, doctors admit that it was fairly common to get calls from friends and acquaintances asking whether drinking while being infected pose any danger.
“Immunity takes a hit with viral infection and consumption of alcohol only worsens it. For someone with a liver problem, drinking while being positive for COVID-19 could prove toxic. Not to mention the gastronomic complications it may induce,” said Manoj G. Panicker, senior consultant, Ernakulan General Hospital.
Cases of worsening of condition because of alcohol consumption during COVID-19, though rare, are being reported, said S. Prasad, a doctor with a major private hospital in Kottayam.
“Mental stress and financial concerns owing to quarantine may prompt some to resort to drinking as a stress buster. The binge drinking during an already vulnerable situation could also lead to pancreatic complications as well,” he said.
“Usually, a person is advised not to consume alcohol until all the symptoms have subsided and at least a week thereafter, to be on the safer side,” he said.